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Taylor Leddin-McMaster (Host): Hello, listeners. Thanks for tuning into the Well Within Reach podcast, brought to you by Riverside Healthcare. I'm your host, Taylor Leddin-McMaster. Joining me today is Akash Rana, Director of Immediate Care and WorkForce Health at Riverside, who is here to talk about Riverside's WorkForce Health Program, which offers occupational health services. Welcome.

Akash Rana: Hey, thank you for having me.

Host: Yeah, thanks for being here. Before we get into today's topic, can you tell us about your role here at Riverside?

Akash Rana: Sure. I'm the Director of Operations for our WorkForce Health and Immediate Care clinics here at Riverside Healthcare. My role focuses on overseeing the operations of our occupational health and immediate care clinics and working closely with our local employers to support the health and safety of their workforce. A big part of what I do is helping build partnerships with businesses in the community so we can provide services that keep employees healthy and help companies stay compliant with workplace health requirements.

Host: Fantastic. So for those who may be unfamiliar, what is WorkForce Health?

Akash Rana: WorkForce Health is Riverside's Occupational Health Program that partners with local businesses to support their employees' health and safety at work. We provide medical services that employers often need, things like pre-employment screenings, injury care, regulatory testing, and workplace health programs. The goal is really to help businesses keep their WorkForce Healthy while making sure employees have access to quality care when they need it.

Host: Great. Yeah. You mentioned some of the services that are offered by WorkForce Health. What are some of the other ones that are frequently used or that are special to Riverside?

Akash Rana: Sure. Yeah. We offer a pretty wide range of services for employers. Some of the most common things include pre-employment physicals, DOT physicals, drug and alcohol testing, and treatment for work-related injuries. We also help companies meet OSHA and regulatory requirements, which can include things like respiratory fit testing and hearing tests. In addition to that, we provide onsite services where our team can go directly to a workplace to perform things like flu vaccinations, health workforce screenings, and other testing.

Host: Thank you for that information. While it depends on the service, what might one expect from a visit to WorkForce Health?

Akash Rana: Yeah. Most of our visits are designed to be quick, efficient, and very straightforward. Many employees are coming in for things like a physical, a drug screen, or an injury evaluation. Our team walks them through the process, performs a necessary testing or exam. Make sure everything is documented appropriately for the employer while still protecting patient privacy. If someone does have a work injury, we focus on getting them the care that they need and helping them safely return to work as soon as possible.

Host: Great. You mentioned a little while back about how you work with businesses and the community and kind of our community liaison for people that need WorkForce Health services. How exactly does WorkForce Health work with businesses within the community?

Akash Rana: We work with businesses very closely and really view it as a partnership. We meet with employers to understand their workforce needs and help design programs to support them, whether it's injury care, regulatory testing, onsite screenings, or prevention programs. Because we're part of Riverside Healthcare, we can also connect employees to additional services like specialty care, any imaging needs or rehab needs. So, businesses really have a healthcare partner they can rely on to support their workforce.

Host: Wonderful. Great. Before we continue our conversation, we're going to take a moment to talk about the importance of primary care.

At Riverside, our primary care providers are right here in your community, offering personalized care for you and your family close to home, and connected to the specialists and services you may need. Having a primary care provider means having someone who knows you, listens to you, and helps you stay well through every stage of life from annual checkups and preventative screenings to managing everyday concerns when they pop up, because remarkable care should never be out of reach. Remarkable care right where you live.

To find a primary care provider who's right for you and your family, visit myrhc.net/acceptingnew.

Okay. And we're back with Akash Rana talking about our WorkForce Health Program here at Riverside. What is available to someone who may not be employed by a WorkForce Health client?

Akash Rana: Even if someone's employed is not currently partner with WorkForce Health, many of our services are still available to each of those individuals. For example, people often come into us for self-paid DOT physicals, drug and alcohol testing, and other occupational screenings that may be required for their job. And because we work closely with Riverside's immediate care clinics, individuals can also come receive an evaluation and treatment for any injuries or illnesses, even if they're not connected to an employer program.

Host: Okay. That's great that that's available. So, outside of those pre-employment services and annual screenings, how does WorkForce Health work with its clients?

Akash Rana: Beyond screenings, we partner with our employers, you know, really based around workplace safety and prevention efforts. So, working with them on things like ergonomic evaluations, injury reduction strategies in helping manage any OSHA recordables through early care and return to work guidance.

We also provide onsite services such as health fairs where our team can come directly to a workplace and offer screenings like blood pressure checks, A1c testing, cholesterol screenings, and other basic health assessments. So, these events are a great way to help employees better understand their health while making preventative care convenient and accessible right at work.

Host: Yeah. That's fantastic. And with that in mind, I'm curious from your perspective, why is it important that a company invests in employee health?

Akash Rana: When companies invest in employee health, it really benefits everyone. A healthy workforce tends to mean fewer injuries, fewer missed work days, and better overall productivity.

But beyond that, it also shows employees that their organization cares about their wellbeing. When businesses prioritize health and safety, it helps create a stronger workplace culture and more engaged workforce.

Host: Yeah. I can speak as a Riverside employee that it's great to have that available here and it makes you feel safe at work, which is wonderful. Now, a very important question, where are Riverside's WorkForce Health offices located?

Akash Rana: WorkForce Health Services are offered through several Riverside locations across the region. Our primary occupational health clinic is located in Bradley, but we also provide those same services through our immediate care clinics in Kankakee, Cole City, Watseka, and our newly open Bourbonnais location as well. So, this allows employers and employees to actually have access to services conveniently throughout the communities we serve.

Host: Awesome. Yeah. And to find that information, it's all on our website, riversidehealthcare.org, and then Locations as well as Services so you can find the exact address and which one is closest to you.

Akash, we're getting to the end here. Is there anything else you'd like to share with listeners?

Akash Rana: I would just say that WorkForce Health is really about partnership. We're proud to work with so many local businesses to support the health and safety of their employees. And for any employers listening who may be interested in learning more, we're always happy to have a conversation about how we can help support their workforce.

Host: Well, thank you so much for your time today, Akash. We appreciate your insight.

Akash Rana: Absolutely. Thank you for having me.

Host: Of course. And thank you listeners for tuning into the Well Within Reach podcast. Be sure to like and subscribe to Well Within Reach on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to learn more about the services offered at Riverside Healthcare, go to riversidehealthcare.org.